Coquette

NYFW: HP Project Runway Designer Reunion Party

(Photo: HP)

I love Project Runway! The challenges, seeing the design process, the cast and THE DRAMA. Getting the chance to attend the HP Project Runway Designer Reunion party during New York fashion week was a dream.

Seeing all the designers in one place and the camaraderie amongst the casts between the seasons was fantastic. They do really like each other! I tried to mingle and talk to as many of the designers as I could.

Here are the highlights:

Becky, Season 9
"Project Runway was emotionally draining, but I'm thankful for the opportunity. Life after Project Runway is weird, everything about me is on the Internet. I have an avatar! But, life is just beginning. I want to design for the average woman, a woman with curves who likes good design. I would love to [eventually] sell my line at Target."

Michael, Season 8
"Life after Project Runway is really great! I've been working on my own line Michael Costello Couture and having fun doing it."

Bert, Season 9
"Project Runway allowed me to get back to design after 20 years and it felt good. There was an age gap with the other designers and I have not really used technology to design before, but I want to. I'm learning!"

Mondo, Season 8
"I'm really happy. I've been focusing on activism. A lot of people expect a lot from me and that is hard. I just want to make an impact!"

Danielle, Season 9
"Project Runway was a hard balance of staying true to my design and making good TV. I learned a lot. I love being back in Minneapolis where there is so much design inspiration. "

I really like the integration of technology in to the planning/sketching phase so it was fun to try out the HP TouchSmart computers and create my own design – just like a Project Runway fashion designer!

You can see photos of the party on HP's flickr set and video below.



Who do you think will win Season 9? Leave a comment with your vote!

~Leigh

NYFW: Radenroro Spring 2012 RTW

(Photos: 24hpp.com)

Radenroro is one of my new favorite fashion brands I discovered this spring while watching Joe Zee's TV show, All on the Line. (See previous Coquette post here.) Designer Liquica Anggraini creates sleek, feminine, and sexy clothing that every woman must have in her closet. Her fall line debuted in Nordstroms and after seeing her new Spring collection, I am ready to wear those dresses now as SF is finally getting our long overdue summer.

From bright neons to red and yellow the collection is full of vibrancy. Her dresses are uber-stylish and perfect for a cocktail party or dinner out.

Liquica also created an abstract unicorn print and used that pattern for dreses, tops, skirts and more. I'm obsessed. (Last season, she created an abstract teddy bear print.)

Radenroro designer Liquica Anggraini (center) with her husband (pictured right) along with Joe Zee of Elle.

You can see the entire Spring 2012 collection at Radenroro.com.

Here are more of my favorites from the collection:

This spring, Radenroro will also launch their first handbag line!

NYFW: Charlotte Ronson Spring 2012 RTW

(Photos: Elle.com, imaxtree.com & Matteo Volta)

I've had the opportunity to cover New York Fashion Week with Natalie for Coquette over the past few years and have been able to see some great shows but I've always yearned to go to Charlotte Ronson. Feeling very lucky I got the chance to go this year to Charlotte Ronson's Spring 2012 fashion show.

Charlotte brings a youthful feel to her clothes that are girly and fun with a bit of edge – Downtown girl for sure! The Spring collection featured denim, lace and floral skirts, shorts and jumpers all her signature styles, but what I really loved was the mixing of textures and prints such as sweaters, florals and stripes. (I must have the outfit pictured at top left.)


There was also a lot of flowy/feminine looks such as these floral pieces. P.S. I loved the new take on sheer knee-highs styled with the looks.


Overall, the show was really all about fun. With Charlotte's sister Sam DJ-ing, the music was rocking! All the young fashionistas were in the front row: Margherita Missoni, Joy Bryant, Nicky Hilton, Kelly Osborne and Whitney Port. The crowd cheered when her adorable sister Anabelle Dexter-Jones took the runway. It was very sweet!

~Leigh

NYFW: DKNY Spring 2012 RTW

(Video: Vidcom)

I'm a true believer in classics and no one does it better than DKNY who brings us beautiful classics with a modern edge. The DKNY Spring 2012 collection was filled with wearable pieces that will work over time for you at the office or at play.

Her color palette is impeccable. Her bright red and blue outfits (including prints) gave an amazing pop of color and the introduction of more pinks as well as the classic nude color show a softer side to spring. I am a huge fan of the new style of dresses that are above the knee in front and longer in back. Also, don't dismiss the blazer yet! I love the larger 80's sizes as well as having a double breasted blazer in crisp white.

Here are my favorite looks from DKNY Spring 2012:

(Photos: Elle.com / IMAXTREE.com and Matteo Volta)

NYFW: Fashion's Night Out 2011

Hello! It's Leigh and I'm helping cover New York Fashion Week (Spring 2012) again this year.The first official event to kick things off is Fashion's Night Out (FNO) tomorrow night. It's hard to believe this is the third year of the event, it is now global and there are at least 1 million events being held around the world. The event was originally started by Anna Wintour of Vogue during the recession of 2009 to encourage people to get out and shop in New York City. This event is unlike fashion week in that it encourages consumers to hit the stores, meet designers and have a fun night out. There are over 1,000 events happening in NYC and it is logistically challenging to go uptown, downtown and from the eastside to the westside, but in typical New York fashion we try to do it all.

I've curated a list below of shops/events I want to hit:

• Target Pop-up (Soooo excited for this as they will have the new Missoni for Target line here first!)
• Net-a-Porter Pop-Up Window Shop (Sounds very fashion + tech, which we luv at Coquette)
• Carnival themed Marc Jacobs store
• Mercer Street Block Party
• Shopbop Lounge
• Nacho Figueras at the Ralph Lauren store in Soho (swoon!)
• DKNY
• Christopher Street Block Party (Albertine, Doyle Mueser Bespoke, etc)
• Rag & Bone
• Zappos Pop-up
• Moon Festival at Vivienne Tam

I'm also looking forward to some new stores opening:

• Z Spoke by Zac Posen
• Surface to Air
• Intermix in the Meatpacking District
• Aesop

As well as these made for FNO items being launched:

• Chanel nail polishes (blue hues)
• Nars Silver Odyssey products

Here's a great list of performances throughout the city from My Free Concert. I'm hoping to catch Best Coast at Helmut Lang and Foster the People if possible. Download the FNO iPhone or Android app to plan your itinerary! I'll be tweeting highlights/pictures on @coquette on Thursday night and provide a highlights post on Friday morning. For those not in New York or a FNO hosted city, your purchases can help do good with buying online. Barney's NY is donating 10% of the day's sales to the September 11 Memorial Museum. Also, 40% of the FNO Collection proceeds will go to the New York AIDS Fund.

Tune in live to some of these shops webcasting their FNO events:

• Nine West
• Alexander Wang
• Mac
• Shopbop

For those in San Francisco here is a great overview of FNO SF events via the Huffington Post SF. What are you planning to do in your city? What were your FNO highlights? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page to let us know.

Enjoy!

~Leigh

Watch the IFB Conference Live Stream!

Today in NYC is the Independent Fashion Bloggers conference which has become one of the premier conferences for the fashion blogging community. Don't worry if you aren't in New York, just click the video below to catch the live stream from the conference today!

Watch live streaming video from ifbconference at livestream.com

Fashion's Night Out 2011 NYC: Coach

I'm going to do my best to collect some of what I think are the coolest Fashion's Night Out events for you in the coming day so you can plan your itinerary for Thursday's big night. At the top of my list for FNO festivities in NYC is the fun happening at Coach with the return of the Duffle Sac with seven of the web's top bloggers such as Hanneli Mustaparta pictured above.

The Duffle Sac is a timeless classic that looks just as fresh today as when it was first introduced back in 1973. And now, the Duffle is making a limited-edition return on Fashion's Night Out. Updated with modern, supple leather, the iconic bag will be available online and in select stores in five traditional Coach colors: British Tan, Black, Navy, Vermillion and Olive Green. If you pick one up on FNO night at three locations: Coach in NYC, Rodeo Drive in LA, and the Forum II in Las Vegas. A special custom hangtag will be added to your bag during FNO.

As part of the collaboration, Coach has commissioned each blogger to photograph and style herself wearing the Duffle. The photos will be published in a limited-edition broadsheet. The bloggers and web editors participating include Hanneli's Hanneli Mustaparta, The Man Repeller's Leandra Medine, The Glamourai's Kelly Framel, Into The Gloss's Emily Weiss, Tales of Endearment's Natalie Joos, The Chriselle Factor's Chriselle Lim and The Blay Report's Zandile Blay. The bloggers will also help celebrate the project's launch.

Fashion's Night Out
September 8, 2011

Coach Flagship Store
595 Madison Avenue
7-9 pm
coach.com